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Episode 68 (7th August 1961)
Plot Lucille is excited to be going to the August Bank Holiday fair and is impatient for Harry to be ready. She also wants Concepta to see his whippets now that he's bought them back off Alf. Ken looks through a paper advertising teaching posts, though most are not suited to his degree subject. Nancy panics when he talks about teaching abroad. He puts his hopes in an application he's already sent off for - teaching history at a public school in Surrey. Nancy is disappointed in the few items she's collected for the jumble sale and Ken offers some of his old textbooks, though she hides her doubts that they will sell. Albert's niece, Valerie, pays him a visit. He's pleased to hear that his youngest brother Alfred has done well for himself and obtained the post of Station Master in Glasgow. She admits she doesn't want to go with them as she wants to grow her hairdressing salon business - Maison Valerie. In order to assuage her father's worries, she asks if she can stay with Albert when her family move north. He is delighted with the request. Ken brings his books round to show to Albert at Nancy's suggestion and sees Val, instantly falling for her. Albert suggests he fetch Nancy round to join their tea but as he walks in next door, his gran collapses with sudden chest pains. Albert and Val look after her while Ken rushes to the Rovers to ring for Dr Graham. Swindley accompanies Emily to the fair where Audrey Plant requests a refund off the Candy Floss Lady after Doreen falls ill on the dodgems. Lucille thoroughly enjoys herself as Harry wins a brooch for Concepta at the darts booth. Emily is delighted when she thinks Swindley is going to take her into the Tunnel of Love but instead his destination is the ice-cream stall. Christine finds Mario's attentions a bit overwhelming as they make their way round the fair. He promises to calm down. Returning home, Concepta advises Lucille to throw away a small box she spotted her picking up in the Street but she wants to keep it for her toy shop. Unbeknownst to the adults, the box contains pills. In No.3, Albert and Ken look round for a box of sleeping pills that an alarmed Dr Graham has mislaid. Cast Regular cast *Harry Hewitt - Ivan Beavis *Concepta Riley - Doreen Keogh *Lucille Hewitt - Jennifer Moss *Kenneth Barlow - William Roache *Albert Tatlock - Jack Howarth *Valerie Tatlock - Anne Reid *Christine Hardman - Christine Hargreaves *Leonard Swindley - Arthur Lowe *Miss Nugent - Eileen Derbyshire Guest cast *Nancy Leathers - Norah Hammond *Audrey Plant - Mary Duddy *Mario Bonarti - Frank Coda *Fairground Barker - Leslie Clark (Credited as "Leslie Clarke") *Candy Floss Lady - Mollie Hare *Darts Stall Holder - Jack Woolgar Places *1 Coronation Street - Back room *3 Coronation Street - Back room and yard *7 Coronation Street - Back room *Fairground Notes *First appearance of Valerie Tatlock. *Two-and-a-half years before first appearing as Irma Ogden, Sandra Gough is Bettina, a belly dancer at the August Bank Holiday fair. *Albert Tatlock names Valerie's father and mother as Ted and Margaret, instead of the later established Alfred and Edith. He also states that Valerie in twenty-one whereas it was later established that she was born in November 1942. *''TV Times: Sometimes they're happy, sometimes they're sad. But whatever their mood, the people of Coronation Street are Britain's next door neighbours ''(This generic synopsis did not appear in all regional editions) *Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 4,524,000 homes (8th place). Of all of the episodes in the year which appeared in the viewing charts, this was the lowest-rating, due in no small part to it being transmitted on August Bank Holiday Monday. Episode 068